Does the promise of retirement match reality?
A former journalist’s reflections on retirement have struck a chord with Australians navigating life after work.
Become a volunteer
This week, ending 24 May, is Volunteer Week, with the theme: Your Year to Volunteer.
The GoVolunteer website will help you find opportunities to volunteer in different categories, which include:
Event volunteering
Helping at one-off or short-term events such as festivals, sports events, or community gatherings.
Student volunteering
Opportunities tailored for students to gain experience, build skills, or meet study requirements.
Corporate volunteering
Activities organised through workplaces, often team-based volunteering or company-supported initiatives.
Volunteering in an emergency
Supporting communities during disasters or crises (e.g. bushfires, floods), often requiring rapid mobilisation.
If you are interested in mentoring in your retirement, read our related story here.
In a recent article for the ABC, former journalist, Matt Eaton, shared his hopes for retirement – and the quieter, more complicated reality he encountered once the working day permanently ended.
Eaton described retirement at the age of 58 as the long‑anticipated reward at the end of decades of deadlines and daily structure.
Like many Australians, he expected boundless freedom: time to read, think, travel, and finally tackle the unfinished list of things he never quite had space for during working life.
In many ways, those expectations were met. Time, after all, is retirement’s greatest gift.
But Eaton also observed that unlimited time can come with an unexpected downside. Without the routines, responsibilities, and sense of contribution that work provides, days can lose their shape.
He notes, “It's all too easy to make the mistake of equating inactivity to indolence – the feeling that if you're not doing something constructive with your time, you're wasting your life.”
The absence of pressure requires adjustment and, for some people, a re‑thinking of their own identity.
Eaton’s reflections prompted lively discussion on social media. Commenters responding to the ABC article on social media revealed just how varied the retirement experience can be.
Many agreed with Eaton’s observations, admitting that the first rush of freedom was followed by a period of restlessness or uncertainty.
Several noted that work had quietly provided social connection, purpose, and validation – things that are not instantly replaced once the office door closes for the last time.
Others were more upbeat. For them, retirement has been a chance to reclaim control, slow down, and invest energy in family, community, and long‑neglected interests.
Volunteering, part‑time work, and caring roles emerged repeatedly as ways people had restored structure to their weeks without returning to full‑time employment.
Some commenters emphasised that retirement is far from a universal experience. Health, finances, caring responsibilities, and housing security all shape how much freedom retirement actually offers.
For those juggling medical issues or financial strain, time alone is not always enough to deliver peace of mind.
The upshot is that retirement is less an endpoint than a transition. It is a stage of life that can reward flexibility. However, expectations may need tweaking and routines may need reassessment.
Retirement does not have to look perfect to be meaningful; it simply has to reflect the life being lived now, not the one just left behind.
Photo by cottonbro studio/Pexels
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